VISAKHAPATNAM: India defeated England 106 runs to 1 in the second Test on Monday, leveling the five-match series, thanks to a match-high nine wicket haul from fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Despite an adventurous start with 73 from Zak Crawley, England was bowled out for 292 in the second session of the fourth day of play in Visakhapatnam, chasing a record 399 for win.

In the last innings, Bumrah and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared three wickets apiece, and the speedster dismissed Tom Hartley to complete the victory. Ashwin finished the match with 499 Test wickets. With his 104 on the third day, Shubman Gill set the stage for the hosts’ dramatic triumph over England, who had won the first Test.

After choosing to bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal made a significant contribution with his 209 in India’s first innings of 396. With their “Bazball” style of cricket, England made a strong start, with Crawley and co. smashing boundaries despite losing wickets. Ben Stokes, the captain, stated, “That is what we are about—the way we have gone about taking on challenges like that.”

“We perform at our best as individuals in times like that, when we are under pressure from the scoreboard. The way we applied ourselves and put India under pressure was excellent, but regrettably, the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped for.”

He did not use the team’s Monday morning sickness, which caused a few players to wake up sick, as a “excuse” for the defeat. After the nightwatchman hit five fours in his 31-ball knock, India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel made a significant breakthrough when he trapped Rehan Ahmed leg before wicket for 23.

In his limited time at the wicket, Ollie Pope smacked five boundaries before Ashwin caught him at slip on 23. Joe Root reverse-swept for two fours on Sunday, showing no symptoms of the finger injury that sidelined him for the whole of the game. He was trying to slog Ashwin, who is still one wicket short of joining the 500-wicket club, but he fell for sixteen.

“Player champion”

With two wickets in five balls before lunch, including Crawley out for a leg before wicket off left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, the pursuit quickly lost momentum. The on-field umpire rejected the LBW challenge, but India was able to review the call. Only four balls later, with England at 194-6, came Jonny Bairstow.

After lunch, Stokes tried to resume the chase, but a straight hit from Shreyas Iyer caused the left-hander to run out on 11 as he looked to knock a quick single. Ben Foakes, 36, who is a wicketkeeper and batsman, and left-handed Hartley, 36, put up a resolute 55-run stand, but Bumrah, who was awarded player of the match, broke through to get Foakes caught and bowled.

Nevertheless, the Three Lions persisted in their daring approach, which has helped them win 14 of their previous 20 games under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, also known as “Baz.” With his six wickets in England’s first-inning total of 253, Bumrah was instrumental as the tourists lost a commanding lead of 143.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma described him as a “champion player for us, he has done the job for us for a while.” When a game like that is won, it’s important to consider the whole effort. The bowlers showed their mettle, knowing that winning a Test match in these conditions would not be simple. In his final match, veteran England speed bowler James Anderson claimed five wickets to bring his career total in Test cricket, which started in 2003, to 695. The teams will take a vacation before the third Test begins on February 15 in Rajkot. England is anticipated to travel to the United Arab Emirates for a week. -AFP